Beer Styles

America has never shied away from bold and even boisterous behavior. Our declaration of independence from Great Britain on July 4, 1776 set off a metaphorical show of red, white and blue fireworks that continues even today. This courageousness has trickled down throughout the generations – and to all forms of enterprise – so that it fizzes up even within today’s pint of American craft beer. But not all craft beer consists of punch-in-the-mouth bitterness or knock-you-down ABV; a new trend has emerged that meshes flavorful beer with a day’s worth of quaff-ability: the session beer.

How do you differentiate between a session beer and, say, an industrial light beer? Both are low in ABV, but the session beer’s goal is to add a sparkle of taste to your day-drinking, whether in the form of hops or, as is the case in one of my suggestions below, pineapple (seriously). And the goal is to do this without overwhelming your taste buds. Many craft brewers have added a sessionable option to their seasonal or year round beer lineups, and expect to see more show up on shelves in the future.

As you scan the beer shelves or taplists on or in advance of your (Friday!) July 4th celebration, keep your beer goggles focused for the below beers, each of which has less than 5% ABV and has been sighted (by yours truly) in stores or establishments in Morgantown:

Rivertowne Brewing (PA) Hala Kahiki Pineapple Beer (4.8% abv): Yes, that’s right, pineapple beer. Don’t be afraid, though – unless you hate pineapple. The tropical fruity flavor is not subtle, but this beer is surprisingly enjoyable and refreshing, and is available in cans and on draft.

Sierra Nevada Nooner IPA (4.8%): Another hoppy, crisp, drinkable delight. The catch? I’ve only found it as part of the “4-way IPA” mixed packs that SN is selling around town (Dear Sierra Nevada: we need this in cans!).